This year's midseason squad includes a third receiver because today's game is wide open. And the D is 3--4, with an invasive three-technique tackle rather than a beefier nose. That's where we're headed

A YEAR AFTER THE JERRY SANDUSKY REVELATIONS ROCKED THE UNIVERSITY AND PUT THE FOOTBALL CULTURE ON TRIAL, PEOPLE IN HAPPY VALLEY REMAIN DIVIDED ABOUT WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES—BUT NOT ABOUT THEIR SURPRISINGLY RESILIENT NITTANY LIONS

DP:You have almost 5,000 rushing yards in your career. Could you approach Emmitt Smith's record of 18,355?

RR: That's a long way to go. [That's] one of those records that is probably going to be there for awhile.

DP:Were you a Cowboys fan as a kid?

RR: I was an Emmitt Smith fan. I grew up a 49ers fan. I thought me and Jerry Rice were family.

DP:Did you tell people you were related?

RR: Yup. I had no shame. They asked me [to prove it with] an autograph or something. I said, He can't, he's playing football right now.

"When you go up to that podium [after a loss] you have to have a stoic look, [like] everything is going to be O.K. That's a maturity thing he's going to have to get over. As far as his play, I don't see where he's on the way down all of a sudden. I just don't understand that."

—WARREN MOON, Hall of Famer, on criticism of Panthers QB Cam Newton

GUEST SHOTS

SAY WHAT?

Angels outfielder Mike Trout doesn't see living with his parents during the off-season as a negative. "No curfew," Trout said. "I live in the basement. I got everything I need. Home cooking ... it's awesome." ... MLB Network analyst Mitch Williams is a supporter of Ozzie Guillen, but he understands why so many people have an issue with the recently fired Marlins manager. "I've known Ozzie since I was 17 and he was 18," Williams told me. "Whatever is in his brain is coming out. You either love him or hate him." ... I asked former NFL coach and current Fox analyst Brian Billick if a team would accept an openly gay player. "I wish I could be more optimistic," Billick said. "On a certain level it would be a difficult locker room to deal with." ... Doug Flutie revealed that his Hail Mary against Miami in 1984 didn't exactly go by design. Flutie said that he had sent his tight end on a route he thought could lead to a TD but didn't have time to find him: "He was wide open at about the 15 going down the left side. If I had put my foot in the ground and drilled it, he might have gotten there."